Sunday, December 26, 2004
ADESTE FIDELIS
Adeste fidelis, laeti triumphantes
Venite, venite in Bethlehem
Natum videte, regem angelorum
Venite adoremus, venite adoremus
Venite adoremus, dominum.
Since this is officially the Christmas season now, and since we sang it at Mass this morning, in Latin and English, I've blogged it. Does Christmas get any more Catholic than this? If you haven't sung Adeste Fidelis in Latin, you are not yet finished celebrating the birth of Christ.
The Catholic Encyclopedia describes it:
A hymn used at Benediction at Christmastide in France and England since the close of the eighteenth century. It was sung at the Portuguese Legation in London as early as 1797. The most popular musical setting was ascribed by Vincent Novello, organist there, to John Reading, who was organist at Winchester Cathedral from 1675-81, and later at Winchester College. The hymn itself has been attributed to St. Bonaventure, but it is not found among his works. It is probably of French or German authorship. It invites all the faithful to come to Bethlehem to worship the new-born Saviour.
